Pursuant to section 431(2) of the Maritime Transport Act 1994 and sections 112 and 115 of the Crown Entities Act 2004, the Minister of Transport gives the following Direction.

Direction

1. Title—This Direction is the Maritime New Zealand (Functions and Duties) Direction 2021.

2. Commencement—This Direction comes into force on 1 July 2021.

3. Application—This Direction applies to Maritime New Zealand (which is a Crown Entity pursuant to section 429 of the Maritime Transport Act 1994).

4. Interpretation—For the purposes of this Direction, the Pacific Islands Region includes the member states of the Pacific Islands Forum and Tokelau.

5. Background—In 2010, Maritime New Zealand and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade identified maritime safety in the Pacific Islands Region as a key area in need of development. Maritime New Zealand established the role of a Pacific Shipping Safety Adviser to provide advice and support to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

These activities are funded under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Official Development Assistance Fund which funds Maritime New Zealand directly to implement the above programme.

Under a Direction dated 18 May 2016, Maritime New Zealand was directed to provide the agreed advice and support to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade until 30 June 2021.

In May 2018, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Maritime New Zealand to engage Maritime New Zealand to undertake Phase Three of the Pacific Maritime Safety programme (PMSP3) and to deliver the following elements:

1. Provide programme and project management and support services for PMSP3;
2. Provide technical advice and technical assistance related to maritime safety;
3. Provide in-country planning, technical advice and exercises for maritime Search and Rescue in the Pacific;
4. Provide in-country planning, technical advice and exercises for marine pollution prevention, readiness and response.

In April 2021, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade approved a one-year extension to the above programme from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022. Accordingly, a new Direction is required to enable Maritime New Zealand to undertake its role and deliver the agreed activities.

6. Additional Functions—Maritime New Zealand is directed to carry out the following additional functions and duties:

1. To deliver and implement programmes for maritime safety, maritime Search and Rescue and marine pollution in the Pacific Islands Region;
2. To provide advice and support to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade on maritime issues in the Pacific Islands Region;
3. To undertake any duties that may be agreed between Maritime New Zealand and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade for the purposes of performing the functions under paragraphs (a) and (b), including providing technical advice, training and specialist maritime assistance to maritime agencies in the Pacific Islands Region.

7. Expiry—This Direction expires with the close of 30 June 2022, but may be revoked at any time.

Dated at Wellington this 15th day of May 2021.

Hon MICHAEL WOOD, Minister of Transport.